Sky Bet Championship in focus: Rotherham United v Wigan Athletic

It's looking increasingly bleak for the bottom three sides in the Sky Bet Championship, and Wigan – eight points from safety – go to Rotherham United this weekend.

The Latics, on 31 points, are the highest-placed side in the relegation zone, alongside Millwall (also 31) and rock-bottom Blackpool (22).

Fulham are the lowest team in the safety positions, sitting 21st on 39 points, but then come Rotherham (40), highlighting just how vital this weekend's match is.

A victory for Wigan, who've won three of their last six, would give them a boost and drag the Millers towards the relegation zone, while Steve Evans' men could leave the Latics in a perilous position should they record their third success in four.

Head-to-head

Wigan lead the head-to-head record, winning 14 of the 28 meetings between the pair. Rotherham have nine victories, with only five stalemates taking place over the years.

Rotherham’s last home success over Wigan was in a League Cup second-leg clash in 1993, when they won 4-2, following a narrow triumph at the Latics’ old Springfield Park home a week earlier.

The last time Wigan overcame the Millers was in the 2004/05 season, recording 2-0 victories both home and away on their way to securing promotion to the Premier League.

The first ever encounter took place in Wigan in 1935, when Rotherham ran out 2-1 winners – a result identical to their visit earlier this term.

Sammon rising

Rotherham will be looking to former Wigan striker Connor Sammon for goals in their quest for three points this weekend.

The Republic of Ireland international made 32 appearances for the Latics across two Premier League campaigns, only finding the net once, in a 3-2 win over West Ham United.

However, Sammon has already eclipsed that total for the Millers, scoring three goals in 10 games since arriving on loan from Ipswich Town in January.

One of those came at Huddersfield last weekend – Sammon’s strike sealed a 2-0 win, his first on the road for his new club - while he has two in his last four games at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.

In the media

Rotherham chairman Tony Stewart has issued a rallying cry to the Millers supporters to create a special atmosphere on Saturday.

“I have said it on many an occasion, that when AESSEAL New York Stadium is full the atmosphere is electric and we really do create a 12th man with the backing from the stands,” he said.

“The fans have been excellent all season and I am hoping they can be the difference in these last few games as we look to secure a place in this division next year.

“I was delighted by the following we took to Huddersfield Town last weekend and firmly believe that backing from the stands helped the lads to a splendid victory.”

Meanwhile, defender Harry Maguire has extended his loan spell at Wigan from Hull until the end of the season and, ahead of the crucial Sky Bet Championship clash, told the club's official website: “Since I joined we’ve won three out of six, which isn’t relegation form at all.

“In the three games we have lost we’ve been unlucky. Against Charlton Athletic the goals came against the run of play and against Cardiff City and Leeds United I feel we were the better team, but we left those games disappointed and on the end of 1-0 defeats.

“We’ve collected nine points from six games, they’ve all been away from home and this weekend we really need to add to that because it’s a huge game against a side we’re chasing in the league table.”

We'll have goal updates from Rotherham versus Wigan, and the rest of the weekend's Sky Bet Championship matches, on Twitter via @SkyBetChamp.